


Dates and Memory

by this_and_that_and_those



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Newmann Secret santa, Pre-Movie: Pacific Rim (2013), Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:08:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28561788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/this_and_that_and_those/pseuds/this_and_that_and_those
Summary: Newt may be stuck in a hospital bed with not much memory, but he knows there's something going down with him and Hermann even if he doesn't know literally anything else.
Relationships: Newton Geiszler/Hermann Gottlieb
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Dates and Memory

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PolygamousSquamous](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PolygamousSquamous/gifts).



Newt wakes up in the shatterdome hospital to voices on the other side of the room. He blinks a few times, but his head doesn’t fully clear. They explained yesterday that he disrupted his memory somehow. They don’t know the extent of his amnesia yet, but he had to spend yesterday meeting the small KSciene Division and trying to get his bearings at least slightly. At least that stuck. He cranes his neck to see one of the biologists he supervises - Kait - talking to Hermann.

“What experiment did he do exactly to trigger this?”

“We’re not sure. He probably kept notes somewhere but there's no way to find them in that cluttered madhouse.”

Hermann scowled - it seemed like the main, if not only, thing he ever did. “We’ve likely some time before the next attack. The rest of you keep going while Dr. Giesler and I are ...indisposed.”

And because this is hilarious Newt leans over and yells “Dude, indisposed makes this sound way sexier than it is!”

Hermann goes beet red as Kait laughs. “Oh good he’s up again. I’ll get the doctor.”

After she leaves, Hermann comes over closer, but seems oddly restless. He putters around adjusting pillows and curtains, bringing Newt a cup of water. Every so often he glances at Newt like he wants to make sure he’s still there.

Newt eyes him with a calculating look. “So what's up with us, man?”

Hermann glances up from sneaking a look at Newt's chart “I told you, we’re colleagues” he says, putting the chart back.

“Hmm yeah okay. Except from what I remember I don't really have colleagues. I have people I work with who are friends, and people who can’t fucking stand me. But I don't think I have anyone who just classifies me as a colleague.

Hermann signs. “We’re rather both then, I’m a friend who works with you and who cannot stand you.”

“You do seem kinda mad at me. Which is weird considering I’m sick and all.”

“Of course I’m angry with you! Look what you've done to yourself! You have one of the world's most brilliant minds and you constantly endanger yourself like some lab rat!”

“Hey there are actually a lot of specific regulations on when to use animals and to make sure they don’t needlessly suffer.”

“I know that! Of course I know that! You make me so bloody frustrated Newton that I forget basic scientific protocols and devolve into metaphors!”

“There's nothing wrong with metaphor. Just like. If the metaphor made sense it’d be fine.”

“How is it that you don’t even know me yet we still do this?”

“Dunno. Maybe its the sexual tension?”

Hermann sputters, flabbergasted. While he gapes at Newt like an especially blushy fish, the door opens and the nurse comes in with a short latin guy wearing a bow tie. The nurse asks how Newt’s feeling while Hermann stumbles back and sits in the corner. When the nurse is done asking him questions, the other guy comes over to Newt’s side.

“Hey, heard you got amnesia. It's super weird to introduce myself to someone I’ve known for years. But anyhow I’m Tendo.”

“Is that short for Nintendo?”

“No dipshit, it is not.”

“He may be a little loopy from the drugs” the nurse interjects.

Hermann pinches the bridge of his nose. “Oh good god. He was talkative enough already.”

“Hey fuck you man, I’m a delight!”

For some reason this makes Hermann smile very slightly and look away. “Yes well, I had better be getting back to work.”

Newt barely gets past “dude c’mon-” before Hermann has walked out the door, his cane clicking on the tile floor.

~

Newt sits up and looks point blank at Tendo. "What’s the deal with Hermann?”  
Tendo takes a breath but before he can get a word out, Newt is back at it, his hands moving emphatically as he picks up steam:

“That guy doesn’t make any sense, he says he’s glad to see I’m alright but then he gets all stiff and formal? Plus why is he so hot? He looks like a porcelain doll of a fuckboy. He looks like the prince you get when you kiss a frog except there's a little froggie-ness left. Especially around the mouth and the eyes. He looks like he’d instinctually rat you out to the principle. He really shouldn’t be that hot. Except he’s got cheekbones that just won’t quit. And he was actually pretty thoughtful in an exasperated way. Like the whole thing works for me somehow? Dude is hella specific.”

“How do you remember a Brooklyn 99 reference but not like, anything else?” Tendo says.

Newt shrugs and gives Tendo two finger guns “ADHD is forever, baby. So am I banging that guy?”

Tendo snorted. “I don’t think so. But it may be for lack of trying. You two have been circling each other for awhile, just haven’t made a move. ...Or you have and were keeping it on the down low. Dr Gotlieb doesn’t strike me as one for PDA.”

Newt pouts. “Well that doesn't give me much to work with.”

“Talk to him dude, I really don’t know. You two are probably overdue for that conversation anyway.”

~

Later that day Hermann is back in Newt’s hospital room. The other folks they work with have stopped by for a few minutes, but only Hermann’s come multiple times. Only Hermann glances at Newt with real worry in his eyes. Newt needs to piece his life back together and this feels the like pretty freaking big part of it. “So what’s the deal?”

Herman glances at him briefly, then away “..the deal?”

“With us?”

“Were my multiple earlier answers that we are colleagues not sufficient?”

“Not really. There’s something here dude.” Newt gestures between them. “There’s vibes. There’s hotness. There’s the fact that you’re the one who sticks around with me. Also I mean I’m just trying to figure shit out here. They don’t know what I’ll remember really, or when. There’s a chance that when I go to sleep tonight I’ll forget today and be back at square one.”

Hermann neglects the beginning of this speech, looking pained by the reminder of his diagnosis. “That’s horrible Newton.”

“Yeah”

“But that being the case, I expect I can say things to you and perhaps it’ll be easier.”

When Newt looks at him expectantly Hermann gets out of his chair and starts pacing the small room.

“Yes alright, very well, fine. Here are the particulars. I’m fond of you. I have been for some time. You appear fond of me in turn, but you are quite boisterous and affectionate with everyone in your social circle or even acquaintance so I’m sure I don’t know definitively. Before we worked together here we wrote letters. We both - at least I believe - bonded over our similar situations and interests in those letters. But then when we met and tried working together, we … er well we simply argued. Constantly. I suppose we were too different and each said the wrong thing at the wrong time. And then neither of us ever said anything. So when we went from sort of close friends with perhaps more, to sort of close enemies, to rather both, there was not exactly a moment to name it. Especially not with how important our work is and how busy it keeps us. So there you have it. We’re not ...er… romantically linked.”

Newt stares at him, slightly wide-eyed behind his glasses. “Okay but like. It seems like we should be.”

“ _It seems like we should be_?”

“Kay how’s this? You’re the most awesome person I know, even though I’m kinda hazy ‘bout the details. Will you go on a date with me?”

Hermann smiles. “Yes I suppose so.”

“Hell yeah! As soon as they let me out of this freakin’ hospital room I'm taking you out to dinner, baby!”

~  
A week later, the two of them are nestled together in Hermann’s quarters when Newt starts awake, sitting bolt upright in bed.

“Holy shit!!”

“What is it? What’s wrong?!”

Newt grins. “I’m back! I remember everything! I can’t believe we got together when I wasn’t even all there! I’ve been into you for like well over a decade and I only seal the deal when I've been eyeing you for 20 minutes?! What the hell.”

Hermann attempts with only limited success not to smile at him. “Yes, well. What matters is it happened.”

“Yeah it did!” Newt holds out his hand for a high five. Hermann tilts his head to the side with a judgy look and small sigh, but slaps his hand to Newts. Hermann nudges him back down and readjusts his leg so it’s more comfortable, resting on top of Newt’s under the covers. Once he’s settled, Hermann leans into the side of Newt’s face and whispers: “go back to sleep darling.” They both drift off.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a secret santa for Mickey! Slightly belated and in for the extended deadline, but hope you like it. Your prompts were awesome and thoughtful so I tried to shmush together two of them. Plus I guess 5 seconds of bed sharing at the end there technically? 
> 
> Thanks to all who read, comment or give kudos! Also if you want to follow my various fandom phases and general nonsense, my tumblr is curlsandyelling.


End file.
